Abstract
Seventh graders (N=355)in one junior high school received an experimental smoking prevention program aimed at teaching students to resist the social pressures to smoke cigarettes. Seventh graders (N=217)in another school served as controls. Teams of high-school students trained in basic behavior change skills led seven classroom sessions of instruction in counter-arguing during the school year. Significant differences were found between groups in reported smoking at a 9-month posttest. Results were maintained at 21- and 33-month follow-ups.
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This research was supported by Grants R01 HD 12813-01 and NIH HL2906-01A1 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, DHEW, Bethesda, Maryland, and a contract from the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health, New York, to the American Lung Association of San Benito-Santa Clara Counties.
Special recognition also should be given to Dan Haley of Egan Junior High School and Marv Steinberg, Jack Verfurth, and Larry Hansen of the Saratoga Union School District. Special thanks are also extended to the American Lung Association and to Dr. Anna Stout for her helpful comments on the manuscript.
The first two authors contributed equally to the manuscript.
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Telch, M.J., Killen, J.D., McAlister, A.L. et al. Long-term follow-up of a pilot project on smoking prevention with adolescents. J Behav Med 5, 1–8 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845253
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845253